Dixon ice breaker tows Captain Kuznetsov to northern sea port

November 17, 2011, 10:07 UTC+3In connection with the long absence of the ship a criminal case was opened

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MOSCOW, November 17 (Itar-Tass) —— The crew of the Dixon icebreaker managed to take the Captain Kuznetsov ship in tow. The Captain Kuznetsov will be towed to the sea port of Arkhangelsk. In connection with the long absence of the ship a criminal case was opened, the press center of the Russian Transport Ministry said with reference to the State Sea Rescue Coordination Center.

The icebreaker took the ship in tow at 4. 35 pm Moscow time. Both ships have been moving to Arkhangelsk.

Meanwhile, investigators and detectives are working at the Arkhangelsk sea port, pending the ship’s arrival. Vladimir Markin, an official spokesman for the Russian Investigative Committee, told Itar-Tass that the Northwest Transport Investigative department opened a criminal case into the fact of long absence of eleven crewmen suspected of violation of the rules of navigation safety and use of sea transport, which is punished by the Russian Criminal Code. "We are conducting an investigation to establish all the circumstances of the incident," Markin said.

The Captain Kuznetsov was lost in Russia’s northern White Sea when the ship was heading for the port of Arkhangelsk to stay there for the winter. The ship lost on Tuesday night was caught in a heavy sea storm in the narrow entrance to the White Sea. The last radio contact with the ship was at 02:00 a.m. Tuesday.

A search helicopter of the Northern Fleet Navy spotted the ship at 11. 15 am Moscow time Wednesday. The ship was found in the narrow entrance to the White Sea 60 kilometers east of Cape Orlov-Tersky Tonky and 104 kilometers away from the area from where the ship sent its last radio signal. The sea was rough out there as a sea storm continued. Rescuers managed to land on deck of the ship from the search helicopter.

All the eleven crewmen who were on board the Captain Kuznetsov ship which ran aground in the White Sea were found alive.